About the Book
Douglas MacArthur is one of the most controversial generals in American military history. During World War II, some adored him while others mocked him as “Dugout Doug.” His superiors, like President Franklin Roosevelt and General George Marshall, considered him indispensable as well as intolerable. Dwight Eisenhower, who once served under MacArthur, was not alone in thinking, “My God, but he was smart” and also “I just can’t understand how such a damn fool could have gotten to be a general.” Historians have been similarly conflicted, but while acknowledging that MacArthur was imperious, egotistical, insubordinate, paranoid, unfair to subordinates, and more, many have concluded that he was still a military genius. In this carefully researched and argued book that’s sure to be as controversial as the general himself, James Ellman digs deep, connects the dots, and concludes that General MacArthur was decidedly not a military genius.
Highly intelligent, outspoken, old-fashioned as well as surprisingly modern, a self-promoter extraordinaire, a bonafide World War I hero who lived in the shadow of his Civil War hero father and under the thumb of his doting mother, Douglas MacArthur’s rise through the U.S. Army’s ranks was meteoric during an era when promotions came slowly. In 1930, he became Chief of Staff.
As Chief of Staff, MacArthur disobeyed President Hoover’s orders during the Bonus Army March. A scandal surrounding his Filipino mistress saw him sue journalists, only to end up paying them a settlement. Even as he privately excoriated Roosevelt, he worked well with FDR, who found the general politically useful even while considering him and Huey Long “the two most dangerous men in America.” MacArthur then became field marshal of the Philippine Army, but when war came in December 1941, the Philippines were caught ill-prepared. Recalled to United States service, MacArthur’s vacillation led to the virtual destruction of the American bomber force in the Philippines, and during the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, he pursued unsound tactics and did not venture to the front lines. Awarded a politically motivated Medal of Honor by Roosevelt and paid a vast sum by the Filipino president, MacArthur escaped to Australia. For the next four years, as Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific theater, MacArthur was obsessed with retaking the Philippines – and in pursuing that self-centered goal, he ignored U.S. global strategy, insulted Allied partners like Australia, tried to one-up the U.S. Navy, and gave at least tacit approval to a presidential campaign to nominate him to run against Roosevelt in 1944.
Today MacArthur still polarizes. Many biographies agree he was a great commander marred by a few failures. Ellman argues the opposite: MacArthur was a lackluster commander whose reputation has been elevated by a few successes.
About the Author :
James Ellman holds a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Tufts University and an MBA from Harvard. He has also written Hitler’s Great Gamble: A New Look at German Strategy, Operation Barbarossa, and the Axis Defeat in World War II (Stackpole, 2019). He lives in Hawaii.
Review :
"In his new book MacArthur Reconsidered, Ellman pronounces MacArthur a poor wartime commander whose "insubordination" was a threat to the Republic."-- "New York Journal of Books"
"MacArthur Reconsidered is an excellent addition to a military history library."--Robert Young, Associate Professor, Deparment of History and Military History, American Military University "Military History Chronicles"
"MacArthur Reconsidered, a well-written, informed, lucidly argued critique of MacArthur's career as a battlefield commander."-- "World War II Magazine"
"Reviewing MacArthur's performances in World War II and the Korean War, [Ellman] concludes that the general was a mediocre commander who lacked interest in details, packed his staff with incompetent bootlickers and often lied in trying to justify his actions. And, of course, he was quite insubordinate, with an alarming tendency to ignore orders and contradict stated policies."-- "The New York Times"
"This well-researched, well-written military-history title will draw general readers, especially ones interested in the history of World War II and the Korean War. It will also benefit historians looking for a different interpretation of MacArthur's role in those conflicts."-- "Library Journal"
History often elevates certain figures higher than the merit of their achievements deserve. As James Ellman reveals in a steady, forceful, and engaging manner, Douglas MacArthur is a case in point. With the skills that an experienced trial lawyer would envy, Ellman carefully examines MacArthur's record from a number of vantage points and makes it clear that the five-star general's heightened reputation as a military strategist and commander is far from warranted.--Edward F. Aldrich, author of The Partnership: George Marshall, Henry Stimson, and the Extraordinary Collaboration that Won World War II
In this lively, well-researched book, James Ellman deflates the MacArthur myth and persuasively shows how MacArthur's political connections, tireless self-promotion, and habitual lying enabled him to escape the consequences of his numerous failures and acquire an undeserved reputation for military genius.--Marc Gallicchio, Villanova University, coauthor of Implacable Foes: War in the Pacific, 1944-1945
